Kolkata: After President Droupadi Murmu’s recent visit to Bengal triggered a tussle between the state and the Centre, a fresh confrontation appears to be brewing after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs sought the services of Siliguri Police Commissioner C Sudhakar and Darjeeling District Magistrate Manish Mishra on deputation. Both were in charge of the President’s visit. They were handling the logistics of the President’s tour.
Meanwhile, in a fresh turn of events, the state government transferred Mishra and posted him as Special Secretary in the state Home and Hill Affairs Department.
Senior WBCS officer Sunil Agarwal, currently Special Secretary in the North Bengal Development Department, has been given additional charge as Darjeeling District Magistrate, according to a state government order. The order was dated March 12.
It remains to be seen whether the Bengal government will release the officials at a time when elections are approaching. Following Murmu’s visit, both sides traded accusations against each other.
The Centre alleged a protocol breach during the recent visit of Murmu to North Bengal. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has sought the services of senior bureaucrats on deputation, intensifying further the political debate. Political observers believe that, as they were handling the President’s tour-related issues, the Centre sought their deputation. The controversy began during Murmu’s visit on March 7 when she attended the International Santhal Conference in North Bengal. The President had expressed dissatisfaction with the administrative arrangements and the last-minute change of venue. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee responded promptly, stating that no protocol breach had occurred.
Banerjee argued that the district administration had maintained coordination with the President’s Secretariat regarding the itinerary. The Secretariat had been informed two days earlier that adequate preparations were lacking, yet the schedule remained unchanged, Banerjee had claimed.
She also pointed out that the Siliguri Mayor and Darjeeling District Magistrate were present to receive the President, insisting that no protocol violation had occurred.
While Droupadi Murmu had questioned the change of venue for the tribal community programme and why neither the Chief Minister nor any minister was present to receive her, Mamata Banerjee urged the President not to engage in politics during elections at the behest of the BJP.